Inside a secret sex and drug scene run by San Francisco's tech elite.

The murder of Cash App founder Bob Lee has caused widespread shock among San Francisco's tech elite. Photo: CASH App/Handout

When Bob Lee, a 43-year-old technology executive, was stabbed to death on a San Francisco street in the early morning, it looked like a brutal example of the urban decline of a California city.

Commentators, including Elon Musk, said the case was yet another example of «terrible» crime in the city, while others said they feared for their safety.

However, the story quickly unraveled. Lee was attacked in a relatively quiet part of the city, and despite problems with theft and drug use in the open, the city's homicide rate is relatively low.

The truth was strange. U.S. Attorney's Office alleges that Lee, the crypto chief executive best known as the inventor of the Cash App payment service, was killed not in a random and unfortunate meeting, but by his tech colleague. Nima Momeni, a 37-year-old acquaintance of Lee, confronted him over her relationship with Momeni's sister, the wife of a prominent local plastic surgeon, before allegedly stabbing him with a four-inch kitchen knife.

Rather than serve as a symbol of a city in decline, Lee's murder shed light on another aspect of San Francisco — an underground scene of extramarital affairs, casual drug use and partying, and the tech elite who are involved in it. /p> Elon Musk called Lee's murder an example of a «horrifying» murder. crime in the city — before additional details appeared. Credit: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Lee and Mr Momeni's sister, Khazar, were active participants in what insiders are calling a «lifestyle,» people close to the couple told The Wall Street. Magazine.

Lee, who separated from his wife Krista and recently moved out of California, «hung out with people who weren't good people … there were a lot of swingers and cheaters and liars in that crowd,» said one friend, Dana Wagner. newspaper.

Silicon Valley has lost much of its countercultural appeal in recent years as its companies have become incredibly wealthy, housing prices have skyrocketed, and more questions have been raised about the flaws of the technologies invented there. But there is another side that goes back to the free love that the city was once known for. The Internet boom of the last decade has resulted in a merging of data-driven millionaires and established alternative nightlife.

“There are many people in the tech community who would come to voyeurism just to see it in a state of shock”— says Stefanos Tiziano, who organizes BDSM events in the city, which he says attract a different crowd. to the swing scene (BDSM is a general term covering bondage, discipline, sadism and masochism).

«There were people from some of the big companies that I'm still there with, and a lot of them knew each other.» Tiziano says his events are especially popular when the city hosts major tech conferences, such as the GDC video game show, and that many venues used for events are only kept open thanks to the generosity of wealthy techies.

One San Francisco native who attended swinger parties in the city says that while the activity has a filthy, underground reputation, the techs involved in The Lifestyle have an analytical, deliberate approach.

“People used to exchanging keys at the front door for swinger parties. People can now use apps to check each other out before the party.

US Attorney's Office alleges that Bob Lee was killed by fellow technician worker Nima Momeni, pictured. Photo: Gabriel Lurie/San Francisco Chronicle via AP

Bronze, San Francisco's exclusive swinger community, was created by Ben Fuller, the tech executive who sold his first company for $5m (£4m) and runs Modern Lifestyle , a ticketing company for private events.

Roughly twice a month, the group holds parties at the inconspicuous Twist Club in the North Beach tourist area and a warehouse dance center in the industrial part of the city. Membership is exclusive — couples and single women only — potential members are only granted access after submitting high-quality, vetted photos. The rules are strictly enforced — cameras are prohibited, rudeness is unacceptable, and participants are asked to «respect the neighbors».

Lori Sehgal, author of «Special Characters,» which described the Silicon Valley underground, wrote that the software for signing up for one swinger's club was created by a former executive at IT giant Oracle. The developer of the iPhone app said he was working on redesigning it for version 2.0.

Many of Segall's sources were surprisingly candid: it was just smart to lead an unconventional romantic life. Chris Messina, the tech lead best known for inventing the Twitter hashtag, laid out his polyamorous philosophy on a public blog in 2015.

“Here we are data positive and solution oriented and if your product (i.e. defect) fails for 50% of your customers then you need to fix your product or come up with something better,” he wrote.

While drugs and excessive drinking are illegal at San Francisco lifestyle clubs, according to an autopsy, Lee had cocaine and ketamine in his system when he was murdered. A party member says he saw little evidence of widespread use.

“That's not what I saw. To be honest, I felt like I was in a venture bank. And then everyone took off their clothes. It was kind of goofy.»

Lee's lifestyle was no secret to many of his friends, but was news to his divorced wife, who told The Wall Street Journal that he was not a «party animal» . She said she thought he was microdosing ketamine to treat depression.

Khazar Momeni (center) and Lee were reportedly active members of Lifestyle. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Lee was also a regular at Burning Man, a bacchanal summer festival in the Nevada desert that is a pilgrimage for techies.

While the clear rules of life in San Francisco are meant to ensure safety, the parties turned dark on the night of Lee's death. Prosecutors say Momeni ran into Lee at a friend's home, asking if Khazar Momeni, Mr. Momeni's sister and Lee's alleged lover, had taken drugs with him. The three later met at Ms. Momeni's apartment in San Francisco. CCTV footage shows Lee and Mr. Momeni taking the elevator down and into the white BMW in the building's garage around 2 a.m.

Prosecutors say Momeni then drove to a quiet nearby street and repeatedly stabbed Lee, who called an ambulance and died after being rushed to the hospital. Mr. Momeni pleaded not guilty, remains in custody and is due to appear in court on Tuesday 30 May.

Ms. Momeni allegedly wrote to Li, «Just wanted to make sure you were okay because I know Nimu [Mr. Momeni] attacked you very badly» after the couple left her home . Her lawyers said: “There are a lot of rumors around this case, many of them are not true.”

During the pandemic, many parties closed in San Francisco, and local residents moved to the cities. like Austin and Miami. Lee, who worked for a cryptocurrency company, moved to Florida and was returning to see his family.

The city's lifestyle specialists continue to work. Last week, Bronze emailed the members about the 10th Anniversary Party scheduled for Sunday, May 28.

However, she also offered the members tickets to the Xcape event in Miami. If the techies are leaving Silicon Valley, then the lifestyle is moving with them.